The Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Assessment Program

The Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Assessment Program (OCSEAP) is a multidisciplinary program established to provide timely environmental information for decisions on offshore oil and gas development. One of OCSEAP's primary tasks is to provide information on the transport of pollutants in the marine environment. OCSEAP's science program is reviewed in relation to this task. Utilization of OCSEAP's extensive physical oceanographic data base to develop numerical models for calculation of spilled oil trajectories is discussed. Present and planned physical oceanographic studies and their goals are described.